Only Human
by Kyoko Kasshu Minamino
Summary: Diana gets an unexpected late night guest in her room. A certain pointy-eared, stoic, incredibly defensive guest. She decides to go with it. Unabashed WonderBats fluff.


Diana had been raised by her mother to be polite above most things but she couldn't summon the energy to cover her mouth as she yawned. After all, she'd earned the right to be a bit frumpy and tired as she shuffled towards her rented room in the Watchtower. Her day had been a long one—putting out wildfires in southern California, battling Intergang and their newest toys, and one nasty run in with Atomic Skull that had left her with split knuckles and bruises stamped down her back. She needed rest, and soon.

She reached her door and mumbled the entry code to the computerized lock, her eyes half-lidded as she walked inside. She immediately kicked off her boots as she entered the bedroom, tossing them near the foot of the bed, and stretched, wincing as a couple of ligaments cracked in response. She reached for the bedspread but stopped halfway there when she realized something was amiss. There was a roll of gauze lying on the end of the mattress. She hadn't been here in two days.

Now alert, the Amazon Princess scanned the small apartment for anything else out of the ordinary only to notice the bathroom light was on and the door was ajar. She marched towards it, ready for a fight, and tore the door open to unleash fury upon the intruder.

"Princess," Batman said without bothering to turn around.

Diana let out an exasperated sigh, frowning at the Caped Crusader standing in front of the mirror. "For the love of Hera, Bruce. I could have hurt you."

"Someone beat you to it."

Worried, she walked around to his side and gasped as she noticed the large bite mark drenched in blood running down his left bicep. There were wads of bloodied gauze in the garbage next to him, which explained why he'd taken a fresh pack out in case he needed it. She knew he never batted an eye at injuries like this, but it still bothered her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he asserted in a somewhat irritated tone. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I didn't have time to make it to the medical bay. Any more blood loss and I'd pass out in the elevator."

She shook her head, amazed that he sounded so clinical about it. "Hera forbid you make a mess for others, just me instead. Need help?"

"No."

Diana rolled her eyes. "So you want the stitches to be crooked, then?"

He finally bestowed one of his infamous Bat-glares in her direction. She would have none of it, of course. "You're in my room. You're going to abide by my rules. My rules dictate you don't stitch yourself up. Alfred would have my head if I let you."

She turned him around and gave him a firm push towards the bedroom, taking the supplies with her. He scowled but obeyed, knowing there was no point in trying to argue with her. He sat at the foot of the bed and she pulled up a chair, pushing his tunic further up his arm and examining the wound.

"What did this?"

"I just came back from a mission with B'wana Beast. Some poachers have been raising tigers for underground wild animal fights. We broke it up, but things got messy when we were getting them to safety."

"Not exactly the most grateful creatures, are they?" she said, carefully threading the thin black string through the needle.

"Predators seldom are. I take it your roster was full. Haven't seen you around lately."

"J'onn's had me booked solid since sunrise on Monday," she admitted. "Haven't had any downtime at all since."

She felt him tense under her fingertips. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

She glanced at him, noticing the discomfort on his face. "It's not an imposition, you know. We are friends, last time I checked. Although it wouldn't kill you to leave me chocolate next time you decide to sneak into my room while I'm not here."

The ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Noted."

She chuckled, continuing with her work. He let the sound cascade over him and nearly sighed. He would never admit it out loud, but Diana was one of the only people on the planet who could ever get him to relax. A comfortable silence descended and after a while, Diana began humming to herself, further soothing him. Bruce listened without qualms, amusing himself by trying to identify the color she'd painted her toenails. Crimson. Scarlet. Fire truck red.

"All done," Diana said, carefully snipping the end once she'd tied it off. "I recommend at least an hour's worth of sleep and a full meal to compensate for the blood loss. My bill will be in the mail, Mr. Wayne."

He rolled his sleeve down, fighting the urge to smile again. "Cash or check?"

She chuckled again. "Cash, please. You have no idea what it's like for Wonder Woman to have to go to the bank."

He stood, returning to the bathroom to retrieve his glove. She bit her bottom lip, her mind mulling over what he'd told her.

"You said you were with B'wana Beast?"

"Right."

"You used the tele-pad?"

"Yes."

"That's only one floor away from the medical bay, Bruce."

She watched his turned back for a reaction. He flexed his fingers in the glove once, twice, staying silent because he knew he'd been caught red-handed. Diana exhaled, pushing to her feet as well. "You know, normal people just call each other."

He faced her finally, his voice neutral. "We're anything but normal."

She crossed her arms beneath her chest. "We're not going to discuss this, are we?"

His tone softened. "Diana."

"Bruce. I know you care about me. If you're trying to be secretive, you're awful at it. And I'm not trying to push you into something you're not ready for, but I'm not going to continue reading between the lines forever. Either you want me or you don't. I can't be your friend and yet continue feeling this way about you."

"I thought I made myself clear when I explained the nature of our relationship."

"You did, and yet here we are." She walked towards him, dropping her arms, letting her voice take on a tone she only used with him.

"Alone in the dark in my bedroom. Are you honestly going to tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind? Or do I need to use my lasso?" she purred, settling her hands on his broad shoulders. He didn't tense this time. She felt him inhale deeply, as if trying to strengthen himself, but she could see the wall between them crumbling. With her boots off, they were the same height so it was that much easier for her to lean in towards his lips. As the inches disappeared between them, her eyes shut and her inhibitions evaporated into mist.

"Diana…if anything ever happened to you…" he struggled to say, but she hushed him.

"I'm a big girl, Bruce. I can handle it. Let me prove it to you."

She kissed him, softly, carefully. The first one was chaste and she held her breath for a moment, half-expecting him to pull away. Instead, his large hands found her waist and tugged her forward enough that she was pressed to into the firm muscles of his chest. This time, he kissed her, parting his lips to draw hers between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, relishing the contact. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and she went weak in the knees, happy to have his arms around her for support lest she fell.

After a moment, she broke from his lips and pushed the cowl back, running her fingers through his tousled black hair. He leaned his forehead against hers, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself when he spoke.

"So…where do we go from here?"

She smiled, adding a bit of sly humor to her voice. "Well, I was just about to take a shower before you showed up. And you still smell like you've been fighting tigers all day."

At last, a genuine smile touched his lips. "It would be rude to refuse a goddess. After all, I'm only human."

"And don't you forget it."

FIN

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**First things first: did you know I've published an urban fantasy novel called The Black Parade? And that it's only $2.99? My, my, what a marvel. It's on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. And I apologize for the shameless self promotion, but I have noticed that a lot of you like my writing style so maybe you'd like my original fiction. If not, thanks anyway and don't forget to review! **

**Second: If any of my Batman Beyond readers are here, don't kill me. I will update 'All the Right Moves' soon. I got a promotion at work and so my days off are few and far between. I swear I'll update this month. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH PLEASE BELIEVE MEEEEE.**

**Third: This fic sprang out of my head one night because I've been pining over Bruce and Diana lately. I miss them. They're still one of my favorite ships to this day and it's always a pleasure to write them. I usually stick with humor but this time I just wanted a nice, intimate setting to have the two of them talk. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Anywhoo, see you on the pages. And soon. I swear. **

**Kyoko**


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